Nickey backward K Sebring 1962

[JoeC]

I was reading a race report on Sebring 1962 and they show a Corvette entered by Nickey Chevrolet driven by Bob Johnson and Roger Ward prepared by Chicago Corvette specialist Ron Kaplan. The Corvette has "Nickey Nouse" painted on it. The K is backward. This question came up before on when the backward K was used. This is the earliest I have seen it so far. Don Yenko finished second in his class in this race driving a Grady Davis Corvette.

[TimG]

I grew up in Chicago and remember passing the tall smoke stack by their dealership with its backward K. I was to young to know what was brewing there, unfortunately. I vividly remember this landmark from 1963 when we moved there until well into the mid 70's when I bought Goodyear tires for my 442 from them. Jim Jeffords and the Purple Eater Corvette raced under their banner in the late 50's. I can not remember if they used this marketing idea on his car.

[ChrisS]

Joe, was the race review in a magazine article? If so, which one? Is the car shown the #149 car that was toured in 63-64 as well? I have a source for old magazines for that period but unfortunately nothing on the 1962 Sebring race.
Tim, I've seen old 8mm film footage that is now owned by Jack Knab (NCRS member) with his car as well as the Purple People Eater, a very young Roger Penke and others. A must see if you ever get the opportunity.
I also grew up within a short bicycle ride from Nickey in the 60's and remember the liquidation sale at the building on Milwaukee Ave. in 1976 but unfortunately at 16 didn't have the cash to buy anything worth mentioning.

[Edited by ChrisS (12-23-2001 at 11:00 AM).]

[JoeC]

The magazine is TODAYS MOTOR SPORTS June 1962 and the Nickey Nouse wore the number "6." There are many simalarities between Yenko and Nickey. Both did a lot of road racing starting in the late 50s. It appears they both got into sponsoring drag racing for advertising of the 427 1967 Camaro transplant cars and hi po parts. They both seemed to have good connections with Chevy and they both had owned/raced a SR2 experimental Corvette of which only 3 were made and one was a show car. Both also had high performance parts businesses with mail order catalogs.

[Stefano]

There is even more of a link between them as well as many of the other Super Car Dealers.

The link was Dick Harrell. Any one of you oldtimers want to chime in?

[68TopStock]

Stefano,

You are correct regarding Dick Harrell, he was behind several well known dealers. Here is a pic of Dick Harrell with Fred Gibb and Herb Fox. Seems Dick liked the Camaro quite a bit. Taken at Beardstown Dragstrip September 1967.

[BBIGG BLOCK 396]

I have been told that the backward "K" was not on any dealer paperwork just an advertising Logo thing that they did,you will see it in adds,on race cars,signs but no dealer paperwork,contracts,sales receipts etc.But I was told this and have no reason to doubt this person.

Bobby

[Steve@v-r-m]

<font color="purple"> </font> The Jeffords Scarab of 1959 also had the Nickey Nouse with the backwards K in a couple of different configurations. One was just the words printed in white on the purple car (#31 if I recall), and the other was with the Nickey Nouse cartoon.
That is the earliest I have seen the backwards K on a race car. I think Jeffords was their first driver anyway, so it makes sense for his cars to have it. It did not show up on his Maserati or Corvette drives for Camoradi in 60-61 to my knowledge.

Steve D

[Vettefinderjim]

The backwards 'K' was actually a "turned upside down K" I learned that last week at the reunion. Jim Jeffords first drove for Nickey in March 1958 at Sebring. He had purchased the SR-2 Corvette and Nickey sponsored it with Ron Kaplan as crew chief. The car was purple at that time. The SCARAB followed in 1959 and was run under the Nickey Nouse name, purple and white paint.
In 1958, Nickey had two 58 Corvettes. One in the east, one in California. In 59, the PPE 3, did all the duty nationwide.

Jim won the SCCA 'B' Production Championship in both 58 and 59 in these PURPLE PEOPLE EATER Corvettes. The PPE III car is now owned by the Miller family ( Corvettes of Carlisle) and the Scarab is owned by Auggie Pabst. The 58 Corvettes are still missing, so keep the search going.

Tom Stephani, son of one of the brother owners, Jack Stephani owns the "Vigeanuea", a mid engine Gennie from 1968 era that was originally owned by Pondurosa Cowboy Hoss Cartwright ( Dan Blocker) All the above cars performed at the 2004 edition of the Brian Redmann Classic Vintage race at Road America. July 15-18.